Railway-splice.



G. MPMILLER.

RAILWAY SPLICE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1913.]

Patented Oct. 21

Q /.9 1mm ATTORNEYS T TED STATES FTCE.

RAILWAY-SPLICE.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES M. MILLER, a citizen of the United. States, and a resident of Tyrone, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Railway-Splice, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to railway construction and has particular reference to means for connecting or splicing the adjacent ends of railway track rails.

Among the objects of the invention is to devise a means for splicing railway rails of a simple and reliable character, the same providing for the utmost simplicity and facility in making the application to the track and also providing for easy renewal or replacement of one rail without disturbing the other.

A furtherobject of the invention is to increase the strength and stability of a joint whereby the common and objectionable rattling or clattering of loose rails is avoided, and the common bolts are dispensed with.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved railway splice partly broken away; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the vertical plane indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the device in verted; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the wedge; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 55 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a detail on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

The device according to this invention may be made of any suitable materials, and the relative sizes and proportions of the parts may be varied to a certain extent as to general design without departing from the spirit of the invention hereinafter more specifically described and claimed.

The improved splice comprises two parts, namely, the chair 10 and the wedge 11. The chair comprises a substantially flat base portion of substantially rectangular form of a length suflicient'to span at least two of the usual cross ties and of a width somewhat greater than the width of the base flange 12 of the rail R. Saidchair portion is shown provided along its edges with any. suitable Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 22, 1913.

Patented @ct. 21,1913.

Serial No. 756,237.

number or form of notches 13 for the purpose of spiking the same to the cross ties in fixed position.

The main part 10 in addition to constituting a chair has formed integrally therewith and extending upwardly from one side thereof a brace 141 adapted to snugly engage one side of the rail web 15 and also abut against the head 16 as shown in Fig. 2. The one side of the base flange 12 of the rail is adapted to be received snugly within a space 17 formed between the brace 141 and the chair bottom. For use in connection with railway rails having transverse holes 15 I may employ fixed studs 18 extending laterally from the vertical portion of the brace 14, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or I may employ, either in connection with said fixed studs or independently thereof, a plurality of depressions 19 in the brace 14lfor the accommodation of members 20 adapted to be projected through or from the rail web 15. I prefer for this purpose loose members or studs 20 so that in the event any of them become broken or lost, others may be readily inserted to take their place. The depressions or sockets 19 are preferably slightly elongated to provide for the usual contrac tion or expansion of the rails without disturbing the railway splice. The other main portion of this device, the wedge 11, is in some respects the counterpart of the brace 14. It includes a substantially horizontal foot portion 21 and an integral upstanding brace 22 which bears the same relation to the rail web and head as the brace previously described. The foot also snugly embraces that portion of the base flange 12 on the opposite side of the rail from the brace 1 1 of the chair member. The outer portion of the foot 21 comprises a flange 23 adjacent which is a vertical shoulder 2 1. The flange 2-3 eooperates with or beneath a pair of lugs 25 integral with the chair member and extending toward the rail. Said lugs also are so arranged that'their free ends 25' cooperate directly with the shoulder 24 of the wedge. The function of these lugs, therefore, 1s to secure the wedge in looking and bracing cooperation with the rail ends, the wedge being preferably slighly tapered for the purpose of making positive bindlng engagement. The purpose of the flange 23 is to provide a means for locking the wedgeun any position to which 1t may be driven with respect to the other parts of the device. A

pin or bolt 26 of any suitable nature is adapted to be inserted in or through any one of a series of holes 23 extending downwardly through said flange 23 and adapted to register with any one of a series of holes 10 in the chair. For the sake of delicacy of adjustment or registry, the holes of one series may be spaced differently from those of the other so that after any slight adjustment longitudinally of the wedge, one of the holes of the wedge will be sure to register with one of the holes of the chair. The leading end of the wedge 11 is preferably rounded or beveled off, as indicated at 11*, for the purpose of facilitating its assemblage and also to reduce the possibility of it being snatched out of position by being caught by any device passing along the railway track.

The form and construction of the chair member are such that when it is secured in place on the cross ties, a rail may be introduced thereinto either endwise or from the side, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the base flange of the rail passing freely between the lugs 25 and the brace 14:. The chair member proper is preferably slightly undercut as shown at 10 so as to insure snug seating of the base flange within the socket 17. After the rails are put in place in the chair, the studs or pins 20, if used, may be slipped into place extending through the rail web 15 into the sockets'19 and the same will then be held in posit-ion by the wedge when it is driven home.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

In a railway splice, the combination of a chair member comprising a substantially flat rectangular chair proper having formed integrally therewith along one edge a rail engaging brace and having along its opposite edge upwardly and inwardly extending spaced lugs, a wedge member comprising a foot adapted to abut snugly against the ends of said lugs and having an outwardly projecting horizontal flange extending beneath said lugs and also having an integral upstanding brace member, said wedge and chair proper each being provided with aseries of holes between said lugs and adapted to register each to each according to the adjustment ofthe wedge, the holes of one member being spaced differently from those in the other member, a pin adapted to be passed through registering holes thereof, and means cooperating with the rail web and the brace members of the devices aforesaid to prevent longitudinal displacement of the splice with respect to the rails, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES M. MILLER.

Witnesses GEO. L. BEELER, PHILIP D. RoLLI-IAUs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

